The United States does not see any signs that Russia is making preparations to use nuclear weapons, White House spokesman John Kirby said adding that he had no specific comment on a New York Times report about such Russian discussions.

“We’ve been clear from the outset that Russia’s comments about the potential use of nuclear weapons are deeply concerning, and we take them seriously,” Kirby said. “We continue to monitor this as best we can, and we see no indications that Russia is making preparations for such use.”